Basalt

Dark grey fine grained volcanic rock composed of plagioclase, pyroxene and olivine, with relatively low silica (45-52 wt %). The composition reflects an upper mantle origin. Basalt is the most common type of volcanic rock on Earth, and it erupts from mid-ocean spreading ridges and hot spots (e.g., Hawaii and Iceland). The intrusive coarsely crystalline igneous rock equivalent is called gabbro.

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Word of the Week – Convection

Word of the Week – Convection

Convection Refers to heat transfer by fluid circulation in permeable rocks where thermal energy is transported with the flow of hot fluid (water or steam).

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Word of the Week – Cooling Tower

Word of the Week – Cooling Tower

Cooling Tower Plant equipment that is used to dissipate heat into air rather than into a river. Cooling is induced in two different ways. For binary plants, dry cooling towers use fans to...

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Word of the Week – Cyclone Separator

Word of the Week – Cyclone Separator

Cyclone Separator A large cylindrical vessel attached to two-phase production pipelines in geothermal fields that is used to separate dry steam from a fast-moving two-phase fluid. Steam...

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